Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to the field of automation control and monitoring systems. More particularly, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to flexible security implementations in the automation control and monitoring systems.
A wide range of applications exist for automation control and monitoring systems, particularly in industrial settings. Such applications may include the powering of a wide range of actuators, such as valves, electric motors, and so forth, and the collection of data via sensors. Typical automation control and monitoring systems may include one or more components, such as: programming terminals, automation controllers, input/output (I/O) modules, and/or human-machine interface (HMI) terminals.
The human machine interfaces or “HMIs” are commonly employed for monitoring or controlling various processes. The HMIs may read from or write to specific registers such that they can reflect the operating state of various machines, sensors, processes, and so forth. The interfaces can also write to registers and memories such that they can, to some extent, control the functions of the process. In monitoring functions alone, little or no actual control is executed. In many other settings, similar devices are employed, such as in automobiles, aircraft, commercial settings, and a host of other applications. In many applications, the interface may not communicate with a remote device or process, but may be operated in a stand-alone manner.
In these interface devices, the objects used in the interface may correlate to different controls, monitors, or any other parameter of an industrial automation device. Some of these objects may have visual representations on the interface devices, while other objects may not be visually represented but may be accessible for configuration and programming by a user. A user may desire to manipulate these objects, such as by creating new objects, copying objects, editing objects, etc., to create and customize an interface.
Each of the components in an automation control and monitoring system may make use of state information of one or more objects (e.g., control programs, tags, module configuration, and HMI screens) of the control and monitoring system. As may be appreciated, each industry and/or control environment may make use of customized processes and/or control environment implementations. For example, customers who implement the automation control and monitoring systems may vary drastically regarding security policies, etc. around access rights to one or more objects via the interface devices. Unfortunately, these customers are oftentimes limited by, or must work around, standard security implementations provided by the manufacturers of the interface devices.